Katy Perry said she was "appalled" after the Trump White House used her 2010 song "Firework" in a TikTok video showing U.S. military strikes on Iran. Perry said she did not approve the use, was not asked, and does not condone it. The Washington Post

The video, posted to the White House's official TikTok account, carried the caption "Iran has been warned" and the full title "Iran has been warned. 🎆 | Katy Perry." It showed fighter jets bombing Iranian positions, a missile hitting an Iranian naval ship, and "Iranian Regime Officials" shown as bowling pins. "Firework" played over the footage. The post got more than 6 million views. The Guardian; TikTok

The military operation shown in the video was called "Operation Epic Fury." The TikTok, identified by video ID 7665732448562580749, was published on July 23, 2026. TikTok

Perry responded on Saturday, July 25, 2026, with a statement on X. She said she wrote "Firework" to be a song about hope, healing, and inner strength for people going through their darkest moments. The contrast between that purpose and footage of real military strikes was the core of her objection. The Guardian

Perry's personal life adds a diplomatic wrinkle to the dispute. In December 2025, it was revealed that Perry is in a relationship with former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. Her objection to a U.S. government post promoting military action against Iran therefore carries weight beyond the usual artist-versus-politician copyright disagreement, given the connection to U.S.-Canada relations and the involvement of a former leader of a G7 country (the group of seven major advanced economies). The Guardian

The White House launched its TikTok account in August 2025 and has since made a pattern of using popular copyrighted music in promotional posts tied to controversial policy areas. Perry is the latest in a series of major recording artists to publicly push back against the administration for using their work without permission.

In March 2026, Kesha condemned the White House's use of her song "Blow" in a military-promotional TikTok video. In June 2026, Ariana Grande rebuked the White House for using her song "Bye" in a social media post promoting U.S. immigration arrests. Sabrina Carpenter spoke out after her song "Juno" was used in a Trump-posted video showing ICE officers making arrests. Jess Glynne objected after the White House used her song "Hold My Hand" in a post on X promoting ICE deportations. The Guardian

This pattern extends beyond the current administration's TikTok activity. Beyoncé blocked Donald Trump from using her song "Freedom" after it was featured in a campaign video on social media. Olivia Rodrigo previously criticized the Trump administration after one of her songs appeared in a government video promoting deportation efforts. The Guardian

The broader context here is a White House communications strategy that treats popular music as fuel for policy messaging, folding entertainment into government content without asking the artists for permission. Each unauthorized use triggers a public objection from the artist, which in turn drives more attention to the original post. The cycle feeds itself: the controversy spreads the government's message further, while the artists' objections come across as reactions rather than prevention.

What makes Perry's case different from the earlier incidents is the subject matter. Previous disputes were about domestic immigration enforcement. The "Firework" video is about active military strikes against a foreign country, which raises the stakes from domestic policy to the display of lethal force on a social media platform designed to go viral. The bowling-pin metaphor, showing Iranian officials as targets to be knocked down, turns a military operation into a game-like visual style that fits TikTok's format.

The legal options available to artists in these situations are limited. U.S. fair use law — which allows copyrighted material to be used without permission in certain cases — gives the government wide latitude when it speaks publicly. TikTok's licensing agreements with performing-rights organizations (groups that collect payments for songwriters) may also cover the platform's use of the song without needing the artist's personal approval. Artists can file takedown requests under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA — a law that lets copyright holders ask online platforms to remove their content. But doing so against the official account of the U.S. presidency would raise a constitutional clash between intellectual property rights and government speech that no artist has yet chosen to fully fight in court.

Perry's statement did not say whether she plans to pursue formal legal action or a takedown request.